One challenge with the single-pan method: All the vegetables roast at once, and you want them to be evenly cooked. Avoid too-crunchy carrots or mushy potatoes by cutting all produce into small pieces of approximately the same size.

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place potatoes, sprouts, and shallot on a large, rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle half over vegetables, toss, and bake 15 minutes.

2. Remove the pan from the oven and set fish atop vegetables. Brush fish with remaining herb mixture. Roast until potatoes are tender and fish flakes easily, 12 to 15 minutes more

2. Add beans and push the mixture to the edges of the pan. Season steaks with remaining salt and pepper and place in the center of the pan. Roast until steaks are medium rare (135°F), about 8 minutes, turning once midway through. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks and serve.

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Slice tofu into 1/2-inch-thick triangles and arrange on a lightly greased large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp sauce and bake until top is golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Remove from the oven, flip tofu, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon more sauce. Arrange bok choy on the other half of the sheet, and gently toss with sesame oil. Return to the oven and bake until tofu is golden and bok choy is tender, about 10 minutes more. Drizzle remaining sauce and sambal oelek over tofu, and sprinkle everything with snap peas and sesame seeds.

It’s tempting to lay down foil to simplify cleanup, but the shiny stuff may have a dark side. Some research has shown that, as with aluminum pans, the metal can leach into foods, especially acidic ones, during cooking. Very high amounts—way more than people are likely to consume—have been linked to bone and brain diseases. If you want to be super cautious, use parchment or a silicone liner, or grease the pan extra well.

Any old rectangle will suffice, right? Wrong. A quality pan has three key features:

1. A RIM
A short edge or lip is what differentiates a sheet pan from a cookie sheet. You want enough height to keep your ingredients from rolling off and allow juices to accumulate. That moisture lets the food cook quickly at high heat without drying out.

2. HEAVY METAL
Put cold food into a hot oven and the sudden temperature change can warp a flimsy pan. Look for an 18-gauge aluminum pan. Some have a textured bottom rather than a smooth one for better air circulation and more even cooking.

3. SURFACE AREA
Crowding the pan messes with your cooking time and prevents good browning, so make sure you're giving the food enough space. Typically, a 13-by-18-inch sheet pan (known, confusingly enough, as a half sheet) is good for four servings.

Two products that have all of the above: Oxo Good Grips Nonstick Pro Half-Sheet Pan ($25, amazon.com) and Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet ($10, amazon.com) Plus, if you want a pan that goes from the oven to your table for a nice presentation, check out this large clay roasting platter from our partners at Women’s Health.)

If you become obsessed with your sheet pan, these dinners are only the beginning. Sheet pans also make great pizza stones—just invert and preheat in the oven, then slide your dough on top. You can also stick a wire cooling rack in a pan for oven-baked “fried” chicken that’ less greasy (the fat drips down below).

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